Adopting is a big decision, why not have all the facts? Here are some of the most common questions we receive regarding the adoption process. Feel free to submit any additional questions through the form on the right or call Meghann in the Round Rock office at 512-310-9857.
Family foster care provides for temporary care of children when there is necessary separation from their biological families. Biological families still maintain legal rights of the children, but the state takes the role as temporary custodian for the children. Foster families provide for the individual needs of the children through the strength of family living and through family and community supports. If you are a foster family, the agency has either temporary or permanent guardianship or responsibility for the children. “The goal of family foster care is to provide opportunities for healing, growth, and development leading to healthier infants, children, youths, and families, with safe nurturing relationships intended to last a lifetime.”
Adoption is the means of transferring to a child and parents all the legal rights that they would have if that child had been born to those parents. If you are an adoptive family, the agency has custody of the child until the adoption is finalized. The value of adoption is that it provides children with stability in legal and social realms. Adoption also teaches commitment in relationships. The goal of adoption is to provide a child with a family that intends to offer a lifetime relationship.
Adoptive parents may be able to obtain an adoption subsidy. This means they can continue to get financial support from the agency, even after the adoption if finalized. The amount of an adoption subsidy is determined individually for each child. The board rate or subsidy is not a salary for the foster or adoptive family and is tax-free.
Fostering and adopting is not the same as parenting a child born to you. Over time, you may need to talk with that child about the birth family, or help the child manage feelings about being in foster care or being adopted. The training we provide through the PRIDE program will help you help your children.
Some people think that because there is a shortage of adoptive families, becoming an adoptive parent happens quickly. There are too many children who have experienced the tragedy of abuse and neglect, so we do need many competent adoptive families. However, the children need us to be careful about who become adoptive parents because we don’t want the children to be hurt any more. The licensing/ training process will take from two to three months depending on the flexibility of your schedule to attend training sessions as well as your promptness in completing necessary paperwork.
How soon a child is placed with you depend upon a number of factors. For example, if you are willing and able to adopt older children, brothers and sisters, or younger children with medical problems, you probably will be able to have a child placed with you more quickly.
